The Brothers and the Queen
by DaBrownBear7
Summary: This fairy tale was inspired by and written to be like one of the Grimm's original fairy tales. Be warned that it is a little strange and "grim" as most of the Grimm brothers' tales are. This tale is about two peasants who are invited to a queen's castle, however, it is unbeknownst to them that she is more than she seems to be.


Once upon a time there were two peasants who were brothers. They were both invited by a queen to her castle. The castle was the biggest, most lavish, and most extravagant in all the land where she lived alone. The queen had been previously widowed from unknown reasons. Upon their arrival, the brothers were greeted by the overseer of the queen's royal guard. He led them to the dining hall where they had a feast with the queen and all were merry and jolly. By the time they had their fill, they were quite close with the queen and the overseer. The elder brother asked to see the armory as he was interested in armor, so the overseer took him there to show him. Meanwhile, the queen had a servant show the younger brother where he was to be quartered. The servant led him by the stairs three floors down to the main floor and around a corner to his chambers. As soon as they arrived the servant disappeared around the corner. At the very same instant the younger brother felt like his appearance had somehow changed. He ran into the chambers and looked at his reflection in the water basin but nothing was different. He thought nothing more of it and went to bed. The elder brother, who was with the overseer in the armory, was fitted with his own suit of armor and sword by the queen's request. When they returned to her, she named him as her body guard. Then he was led off to his own chambers. The next morning everyone met in the throne room for the elder brother to be sworn in as body guard. Afterward, the younger brother was jealous of his brother since he had gotten nothing, so he approached the queen to ask for something. However, as he got close to her the overseer shouted for someone to stop him. The younger brother, who had turned to see what the shouting was about, turned back the queen to see that she had been stabbed with a dagger in her chest where it was still embedded. The overseer grabbed the younger brother as he pleaded and said it wasn't him as he had no weapon. The body guard took the overseer's side and escorted his brother to the dungeon while servants tended to the queen who still lived. The overseer demanded the younger brother's execution, but the younger brother begged to have a word with his brother. The overseer gave in and left. The body guard, however, did not recognize his brother. The queen had cast a spell on the younger brother the night before that changed his appearance to everyone but himself. She was also the one who had the dagger; she had stabbed herself. This was only known to the queen and the overseer. The younger brother tried to explain to the body guard that it wasn't him. Would his brother do such a thing? The body guard agreed that his brother wouldn't do that but that he was not his brother. So the younger brother pulled a pebble out of his pocket and gave it to the body guard. The body guard knew that pebble; his younger brother had it since they were children and never threw it away. The body guard knew this man must be his brother and realized what had happened. He freed his brother and together they came up with a plan. The body guard got his brother a small sword that was easily hidden from the armory. Then they both went up to the throne room where the queen and the overseer were. The body guard pretended he was escorting the prisoner to his trial, but when they were close he began to fight the overseer. While they were doing this, the younger brother drew his hidden sword and approached the queen. He stabbed her over and over but she wouldn't die because of her magic. So he cut off her head and she died. The body guard slew the overseer with the help of his brother who had turned back to his normal form after the queen had died. Then they made themselves kings and found themselves queens and lived together in the castle happily for the rest of their lives.


End file.
